Today, we will discover how to cook duck legs recipe in under two hours! I think this is the best recipe. And it does not require constant attention and you can do other things while preparing a duck! Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? Are you eager to learn the secret recipe that will bring everyone to the table? Do you want to impress your beloved ones? If you have answered ‘yes’ to one of our questions, then you are in the right place! Don’t worry about your cooking skills, the duck leg or duck legs preparation is easily achievable for all levels of chéfs. Starting from the beginner! We will show you how to cook a duck legs recipe in meticulous details, covering all the essentials. Let’s dive into the marvelous process of cooking this masterpiece! You can follow our quick guide that will help you in finding the correct piece of the information.
A guide of the recipe:
- A quick history of the duck & duck dishes
- The variety of duck dishes in the 21st century
- Duck vs. Goose. Who wins the battle?
- Our favorite sauces for the duck dishes
- The best wine with duck
- Main ingredients
- Duck: main guidelines
- Side dish: crispy & roasted potatoes
1. A quick history of the duck & duck dishes
A long time before the chicken was brought to the table, people used duck as a main dish. It is full of healthy nutrients: high fat, high protein, and high in iron. In other words, everything that you need for good nutrition. The phenomenon of ‘duck culture’ started approximately 4000 years ago by Chinese people. Still, the nation is extremely dedicated to this tradition. The national Chinese dish is Peking duck, the meal from which all history has started.
2. The variety of duck dishes in the 21st century
Nowadays, people do not eat ducks anywhere at any time anymore. Duck dishes are considered to be a treat, the meal for special occasions such as celebrations, birthdays, etc. There are plenty of variations on how you can eat duck – millions of recipes with different sauces and extravagant side dishes. The most popular ways to eat ducks are confit duck breast, duck leg confit, roasted duck breast, or roast duck leg or legs. With a great tendency of the duck dishes, many culinary and gastronomic books also include crispy duck leg recipes, roasted duck leg recipe, best duck breast recipe, and so on.
3. Duck vs. Goose. Who wins the battle?
In our provided recipe, we use duck legs as the main ingredient. What shall you do if you are not able to buy any duck in your local shop? No worries, we got it for you! You can use goose legs instead of duck ones. The difference will be so light, you and your guests will not even notice! We encourage you to try the goose confit instead of duck confit. Maybe, you will love it even more! Do not be afraid of any alternatives; the result will be outstanding at the end!
4. Our favorite sauces for the duck dishes
Every dish requires a special sauce, the cherry on the top. Sauces make dishes more delightful, yummy, and tasteful. I love this dish without sauce. There are so many juices and tastes here. But if you can’t do without sauce I recommend adding the cranberry sauce to your duck dish. Even though our suggestion might sound like a basic one, it is a marvelous idea. Cranberry sauce for the duck was always a classic of culinary books, and some chéfs use it with their gastronomic meals. I do not think that anything better will be invented soon, so take a look at the magnificent duck sauce recipe of the legendary sauce.
5. The best wine with duck
Serving the right wine with duck is another integral aspect that should be counted while making a special dinner. The wrong wine may give the dish absolutely the opposite taste. After a deep analysis of the wine market, we came to the conclusion that red wine is the best one that suits the dish. For example, Pinot Noir is a great choice for the duck legs with crispy potatoes and tangerines. It gives the dish a light and sweet taste, making it more tender. People have been using this combination since the 1970s, so why shouldn’t you?
DUCK LEG RECIPE AND CRISPY BAKED POTATOES WITH APPLES, ONIONS, AND TANGERINES
Main ingredients:
What ingredients do you need to have?
3-4 duck legs
2 green apples
2 red onions of medium size
4-5 small tangerines
1 tsp of Chinese mix Five-spice powder
½ tsp of black pepper
4 cm ginger root
Two sprigs of fresh thyme
For crispy baked potatoes:
10-12 small potatoes
½ orange
1 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp of olive oil
Duck: main guidelines
1. Firstly, you need to grate the ginger on the finest grater which you have at home. Then, remove the zest from half of the tangerines using a zest knife or grater.
2. Secondly, rub the duck legs with salt, pepper, and the Chinese mix Five-spice powder. After, evenly spread the ginger, zest, and thyme leaves on duck legs. Slightly sprinkle with olive oil. This massage technique is necessary so that spices will stay on the duck all the time. For a better result, massage the legs once again!
3. After the delightful massage, our duck legs are ready to be roasted. Put them into a large baking dish, place in a cold oven. Preheat oven to 170 ° C (340 ° F). Note: don’t forget to flip legs every 15 minutes! Cook for 1,5-2 hours.
4. Meanwhile, peel the onion and cut it in the four equal pieces (wedges). Take green apples and cut each apple into six slices. Remember to cut out the core of the apple.
5. As for tangerines, put aside only one, the rest of them you need to cut into 4 slices.
6. When the duck legs are soft, increase the oven temperature to 200 ° C (390 °F). Place the apples, onions, and tangerines in a baking sheet over the duck legs. Drizzle them with duck fat, try to spread it evenly. A duck fat should cover apples and onions at least a little. Then pour everything with the leftover tangerine’s juice over and put the baking sheet back to the oven. Cook for about 20-25 minutes. Tip: for a juicy taste, sprinkle duck fat on the dish every 7-8 minutes.
In the entire recipe, we serve the duck with roasted and crispy potatoes. Increase the temperature to 200 ° C (390 °F) and put potatoes on the top rack in the oven next to the duck. If this is not possible, move he baking sheet with duck legs to the bottom shelf in the oven.
Side dish: crispy & roasted potatoes
1. Peel the potatoes and put them in the pot with cold water, then boil them. Put some salt and cook until they are half-cooked (it takes approximately 10 minutes).
2. Use a zest knife or grater to remove the zest from half of the orange.
3. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C (390 ° F). Drizzle with olive oil the baking sheet and add the sliced pieces of butter. Put some salt as well. Then, pour balsamic vinegar, add thyme leaves, zest, juice of half an orange, and pepper. Mix with your hands the spices to spread them over potatoes. Press down lightly on the potatoes with a wide spatula. They should crack a little! Place potatoes in the oven and bake until they turn golden brown, about 45 minutes.
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You can find the video recipe on our Youtube channel Bible of taste:
Bon appetit and come again!
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